Arlie and the Mermaid's Curse [#wattys2015]

Chapter 3: In Which Terp Has Secrets and Arlie Runs Into Even More Trouble

Arlie woke to Terp leaning over her. Terp gently placed a hand over Arlie's mouth when she drew breath to cry out.

"It's okay," Terp whispered, taking her hand away.

Arlie sat up and brushed some leaves out of her hair. She was sitting beside the ashes of their campfire. There was no sign anyone had attacked her. "What happened?"

"You had a nightmare."

"I did?"

"Yes, you were really hard to wake up. I had to pinch your arm."

"Oh."

"Try and sleep." Terp moved back to her original sleeping place and closed her eyes.

Arlie settled back down on her coat, but she didn't sleep.

Terp had them get an early start the next morning. Arlie walked beside her, listening to Terp's familiar music. Something was poking her ankle. She bent down and unlaced her boot.

Cass's knife was loose from its sheath. How had that happened? It had been fine the night before. Maybe she had kicked her feet? Arlie carefully pulled the blade all the way out of the sheath and gasped. There was a streak of dark brown along the edge. Dried blood.

Her leg didn't hurt, so it wasn't her blood. And she hadn't noticed any injuries on Terp. Arlie wiped the blood off on the dewey grass and slid the knife back into its sheath.

Had Terp been mistaken? It had all felt so real... Terp was walking ahead of her, bouncing with each step as she played. Arlie rolled up her shirtsleeve and inspected the skin of her arm where she felt the prick. It was pink with a small scab. Clearly not from a pinch.

Why was Terp lying? Had she been the one to hurt her? Maybe something had happened, and Terp just didn't want to scare her.

Arlie knew it would be pointless to ask. If Terp wanted her to know something, she would tell her, and if she didn't, Arlie knew it would be fruitless to try and find out. She would have to do some investigating on her own.

Putting on a smile, Arlie caught up with Terp. "Where are we going?"

"To meet someone that not many others will ever meet."

Well, that was vague and unhelpful. Sighing, Arlie wound a curl around her finger.

"How far is the walk?"

"Half the distance we've traveled already."

Arlie groaned.

She lost track of the days as they walked. Terp didn't mention the incident. It was easy for Arlie to act as she normally would, since Terp played all day. Arlie spent the hours watching Terp's tattoos flow and dance across her shoulders.

They soon left Omemain territory and entered a thick forest. Terp continued to play, just in case something else tried to come after them. Arlie walked in a daze. The forest blocked most of the sunlight and Arlie couldn't hear anything over Terp's flute. Occasionally she played her panpipes as she walked, but she soon grew too tired to do so.

One night, Terp shook her awake. Arlie propped herself up on one elbow, still half asleep. "What?"

"We're here."

Arlie opened her eyes and sat all the way up. "Why didn't you tell me that we were here earlier?"

"Shh."

Arlie squinted. Something was different. Usually the trees blocked most of the moonlight, but tonight the forest was filled with a soft white glow. Terp had her arm raised, her flute pointing to something overhead. Arlie looked up and gasped.

The trees were filled with thousands of blooming white flowers. She had seen white flowers, of course, but these were different. Even on the ground their light was blinding. It reminded her of the crystals in their wagon.

"Are they... crystals?" She whispered.

"I'll tell you later." Terp slowly rose to her feet. "Stay here, and don't make any more noise than you have to."

Terp approached the tree and began to climb, waiting a moment before moving again. It took ages for her to reach the top of the tree, and Arlie was almost half asleep by the time she did. Terp plucked a flower, tucked it into her hair, and climbed back down.

"I thought we were meeting someone," Arlie whispered, once Terp rejoined her in their makeshift camp.

"We are," Terp said. "Just not tonight. These flowers only bloom during the full moon." Terp put the flower in her bag, where it glowed like a shard of moonlight.

"Okay," Arlie said, too sleepy to be angry. She wiggled her toes, which were sore from walking all day.

"Arlie?"

"Hmm?"

"We have to run."

"Why?"

"It woke up."

Arlie sighed, straightening up and looking around. "I don't see anything."

"Look up." Terp folded her own coat over her arm and passed Arlie her boots.

Two colossal, orange eyes looked back.

Thanks for reading! Pleeaaase vote if you liked it!

Sorry about the late update and short chapter! School has been crazy. Hopefully I'll get time to edit this chapter and the one before it. 

What do you think Terp is hiding?